Stockport College Programme Leader achieves doctorate

After starting her higher education at the college, Amanda Vardy, Programme Leader for HE Early Years, at the Stockport College University Centre has officially achieved her Doctorate in Education.

Back in 2013, Amanda was working as a registered childminder. She was content in her role, but when a leaflet advertising HE courses at the University Centre Stockport College arrived in her letterbox, she found a course that was delivered at a time that suited her schedule, alongside her responsibilities as a mum.

Amanda began with a Foundation Degree in Early Years before furthering her studies with a one-year Childhood Studies course. She then obtained a teaching qualification, during which she completed her placement at the University Centre. That same year, she was offered a position as an HE Early Years Lecturer.

Subsequently, she earned a Masters in Educational Practice at the University of Chester, before embarking on her latest educational venture at Liverpool John Moores University. Amanda has recently completed her Doctorate in Education, with her thesis focusing on disadvantage and the home learning environment. She achieved this while working and navigating the challenges of family life, including supporting her younger child, who has autism.

Amanda Vardy shared:

“I worked all the way through my studies. There was a lot of late-night juggling between work, coursework and family life. My nights out were at the computer!

“I could have stopped before doing a Doctorate, but I encouraged myself to keep going, and keep learning. My studies have shaped who I am and made me more empathetic to our students’ experiences.”

Amanda joined Stockport College in 2016 as a Lecturer in Children’s Studies and became Programme Leader for HE Early Years in 2021. Now, as part of a close-knit team of six, she supports the next generation of Early Years professionals, many of whom, like her, are juggling study with work and parenting.

Amanda graduated this week and remains a living example of the transformational power of local, accessible education. Her story is a testament to perseverance and proof that sometimes, a single decision can lead you right back to where you were meant to be.